The Graduate Students
by MyDarkMaterials
Summary: People live, people die - life goes on, even after you lose someone you love. You grow, and you age, and you change - and maybe you learn to cherish what you've got just that little bit more.
1. Prolouge

Nuvema Town, Unova. It isn't big - to be completely fair, it's not a town at all, not even a hamlet. Nope, it's just where Professor Juniper's lab assistants and interns live.

The place really isn't much to look at - a handful of identical houses, gravel paths, a single access road for mail and supply deliveries, shuttled down from Accumula to the north. It's very boring, and also, the plumbing kinda sucks - the water pressure is spotty as all hell, since we're so near the ocean. It's certainly not the kind of place that gets awards for best living conditions.

There is nowhere on Oceanus I would rather be living at this moment.

My name is Dawn Blaise, and I am one of Professor Juniper's current crop of interns. There are three of us - my good friend, Nolene Thatcher, Cheren Ferryman (yes, his parents had a cruel sense of humor) and, of course, myself. We've been here for nearly two and a half years now, assisting the Professor with her research, and in the past year, we've formulated an incredibly exciting hypothesis.

Pokémon - not just the clearly-intelligent psychics, not just the human-shapes, but the really dumb ones like Magikarp or Oddish - all have a language.

Oh, they don't all share the same one, and it's not always really complex - for instance, the Starly idiom only encompasses a few directional indicators, "follow me", "go away" and "food" - well, at least that's all we've identified so far - but the fact that such a thing exists and can be quantified-!

It's beyond exciting. And I'm right in at the ground floor.

I've been working with a Snivy, Nolene has been working with his sister, and Cheren's been caring for a Tepig, and I'm reasonably sure that we've all picked up a working grasp of our personal companion's language.

What's his name? Well - I'll translate, it wouldn't mean anything to you, I know - it basically means, 'blossom that the gods delight in.' Yes, it's very flowery - it's very typical of the Serperior line, though. His mother's name is... I think it's 'first rose of spring bathed in dew.'

Yes, it does all sound like a lot of hissing.

Yes, they willingly accept nicknames, in fact, his mother's nickname is Rose... yes, if Professor Juniper lets me keep him, I know exactly what his is going to be.

Granted, it means "gods' peace," which is not quite the same thing, but... I think it fits.

Today is our first real, recorded test, and I'm going to document the whole damn thing for posterity - this will either make us as brilliant scientists, or break us for being foolish enough to try to talk to the Caterpie. Either way, it's kind of a one-way street.

Ah well. Time to head downstairs and face the day, either way.

Nolene's up earlier than I am, as usual - sitting on the kitchen table, a piece of toast in her mouth. She shakes her head, mumbles something inaudible around her breakfast, shoves my coffee mug at me.

Thank Arceus, she made coffee. Best roommate ever.

I snatch my mug and drink deeply of the life-giving elixir within as she polishes off her toast - only coming up for air when she pokes me lightly in the side.

"Get your food and let's go." She hops off the table, dusts her neat black slacks down, straightens her white button-down shirt and shoves her mop of red curls out of her face. "And, for Arceus' sake, Dawn, put something reasonably nice on!"

"Even though I'm going to be working with you-know-who, the living grass stain? And you are too?" I shoot back, grinning.

"You can't be wholly practical on a day like this, Dawn. Don't make me ransack your closet." She grins, and I smile back, relenting.

"All right, all right, I'll go ransack my own closet, then."

I've got my coffee, I can deal with her bothering me about my clothes.

It takes a good half-hour before she's satisfied - and I wind up feeling like an idiot, wearing a dark blue skirt my dad got me for my fourteenth birthday. I don't _do_ skirts - and furthermore, I really don't know how I should feel about it still fitting. Regardless, it does fit - and I have to admit, paired with one of Nolene's blue blazers, a white blouse and a floaty white scarf that she dug out of _somewhere_ in her bottomless wardrobe, I look pretty good.

Of course, now we're late - but at least we look classy!

We arrive at the lab ten minutes later, and Cheren's waiting out front. He seemed to have the same idea Nolene did - he's wearing an actual, honest-to-Arceus _suit_, and his normally untamable mop is actually combed for once.

I have to admit, the guy cleans up nicely.

He adjusts his glasses, smiles. "Good morning, you two - did you oversleep?"

"Ah, shut up, Cheren." Nolene elbows him in passing as she breezes up to ring the doorbell. "Had to get Dawn ready - the silly Patrat was going to show up for our big day in - in -"

"...what she usually wears?"

_"EXACTLY!"_ Nolene throws up her hands, nearly hitting us both in the face. "You don't _do_ that."

The door opens before either of us can retaliate, and Professor Juniper steps out, all smiles.

By Arceus, the woman is wearing make-up. Make up and _high heels._

This _IS_ big.

"Dawn, Nolene, Cheren, good morning! Now, this is a big day - and I'm fairly sure Dawn is recording this -"

I blink, fiddle with my Pokétch.

"I am now, yes."

She grins at me, mouths "me too" - it's then that I notice the Porygon floating after her - and continues.

"Very good then - I am Professor Aurea Juniper, Ph. D., alumnus of Castelia University - and today we will be putting our Pokémon Language Hypothesis to its very first recorded practical test. Are we all ready?"

Cheren, eager little Bibarel that he is, is the first to chime in.

"Yes, Professor!"

Nolene nods, I nod, and the Professor beams. "Very good then! Cheren, Nolene, Dawn, bring your partners and come this way."

She steps aside, letting us into the lab - Cheren is, again, the first, followed by Nolene, and I bring up the rear. As usual, really - but I don't mind.

Our partners usually sleep outside, with their families, but last night the Professor brought them in and bedded them down in cages for just this purpose. Granted, we can call them - but they only listen when they want to. What can I say, they're only a year or so old; they still prefer the company of their siblings to us, most of the time.

I let Nolene and Cheren get their Pokémon before I step in to retrieve mine.

He's still sleeping, the lazy little snake, and I take a moment to admire him - I like all Pokémon, don't get me wrong, but my little friend here is special. I practically raised him, after all.

He's the runt of his clutch, unfortunately - but that's fine, he's an interpreter, not a fighter. His scales are glossy green, smooth and cool, and he's just big enough to coil around my neck. It's his favorite perch.

He stirs a little, and I can't help but smile, reaching in to rub the creamy scales under his chin with one finger. "Come on, you - it's our big day, wake up."

I know he doesn't quite understand everything I say in the human idiom, not yet, so I repeat it in his, a series of soft, sibilant hisses. His soft brown eyes blink open and he flickers his tongue fondly against my finger, then coils around my wrist and lets me take him out of the cage.

Nolene nods in approval, her own Snivy curled loosely around her shoulders, like a living scarf. "Are we all ready?"

"I hope so." Cheren responds, his Tepig snuggled in his arms. She's still napping. "...either way, this is enormous."

"Yeah."

I drape my little friend around my neck, and we all shake hands - it seems appropriate in this one last moment before we test a hypothesis that could entirely change the world. Then, one by one, we file back out of the lab.

I'm still last in line.

The walk around back, to the flat lawn where we occasionally hold mock battles, seems longer than usual. I know it's just nerves, but either way, I can't help but fidget.

"Dawn, would you please stop that?" Cheren hisses, and I can see the panic in his face - he wants us all to look good for the camera, and I have an inkling that this is making me look like an idiot.

Nolene just chuckles, pats my shoulder. "Deep breaths. We've got a minute." She glances over at Cheren. "No matter what, we should be proud of having gotten this far. Even if this doesn't convince the university schlubs, I've seen enough to believe that we really _can_learn to communicate with Pokémon, and even if we die unrecognized for it, we've done something good here."

I can't help a smile at her words. "You're going to give the best motivational speeches of any professor ever, you know that?"

"I know, I know, I'm great." She mock-preens, then nudges me again. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

"While we're still young, yes."

I'm tempted to knock Cheren over for that comment, but I refrain. I doubt he'd ever get the grass stains out of that suit.

Instead, I brush past him, and saunter onward, head held high. "We'd better hurry, we're late."

Professor Juniper greets us with a smile, directs us to stand in a line, gives the Porygon floating obediently beside her a little prod. "Right - record, unit twelve. Okay... good." She turns to us fully, and she's using her lecture hall voice. "We will now perform a series of simple tests to determine whether Pokémon and humans are capable of verbal communication. Dawn, Nolene, Cheren, please release your partners and direct them to come to me."

We do as we're told - and our Pokémon scuttle across the field to the Professor. She steps between them and us, kneels, and for a moment nothing happens, apart from the Porygon recording them; but then she stands, and they come scampering back.

My little friend lets me scoop him up, settles on my shoulder, hisses contentedly in my ear, "A blue ball, with a yellow star." No sooner has he said that, than the professor motions to Cheren.

"Please come here, and tell me what your Tepig just told you?"

He goes, and comes back - and he's smiling as he does, hands in his pockets, practically strutting.

A good sign.

The professor calls Nolene next, and she, too, comes back smiling - nudges me in passing, whispers, "this is genius."

"Dawn, come here, please."

I take a deep breath, and walk across the lawn. The Professor is smiling, the Porygon is whirring and clicking away -

"This is the first test. Which of these did I show your Snivy?" She holds out her cupped hands, and I can't help but laugh.

They're overflowing with those little toy bouncy-balls you get out of vending machines - all colors and sizes. I tilt my head one way, then the other, pick through the pile. "He said a blue one with a yellow star..."

She smiles, lets me shuffle through the pile - I find the right one near the bottom of the little heap, and my little friend nods an emphatic "yes" when I hold it up to him.

The professor practically glows as she turns to the Porygon, and gushes. "As you can see, all three of the interns found the correct object, which was shown only to their Pokémon. The camera was always on me, and I have not moved from this spot, and nothing was written on the Pokémon, nor was anything given to them, as you may plainly see." She pauses, dusts her hands nervously on her lab coat. "Now, naturally, this single trial alone is not proof - although I hope it is eye-opening! - so we will be conducting a few more tests."

She motions Cheren and Nolene over. "Now, to begin with..."

It is nearly six hours before we finish - six hours of describing things to our Pokémon, of having them describe objects to _us_, of ridiculously complicated maneuvers being dictated to us, to our Pokémon -

It is worth it, because by the end, the Professor's blue eyes are glowing like someone turned on a light behind them.

"There is no way they can debunk this."

We look at each other - we three interns, and the Professor, and we smile.

It is a gala occasion when she mails the recording, later that night.


	2. Chapter 1

It is early autumn - nearly my birthday - when we finally hear back from Castelia U. I'm out back, raking leaves, my little buddy curled up on top of my head, when the Professor sticks her head out the door and bellows. Cheren and Nolene come running - one covered in leaves, the other with her Snivy wrapped around her head like an enormous leaf-serpent crown - and I drop my rake and scamper up next to them.

The Professor is shaking her head angrily, a single sheet of paper clenched so tightly in her hands that it's threatening to rip.

"My office, please." She bites out - and though it's clear that her rage isn't directed at us, the force of it still makes me flinch - and out of the corner of my eye, I can see Cheren and Nolene wincing, too.

We follow her, terrified into mindless obedience, our partner Pokémon cradled in our arms, and she leads us into the office. She all but slams the door behind us once we're all in, flings herself angrily into her chair and slams the sheet down on the desk, smoothing it beneath her hands furiously. "Sit. We need to have a talk." She is tense, terse, her face drawn taut with sheer fury.

"Professor, what did they say?" Trust Cheren to be the axe when we need a scalpel. Nolene and I exchange an anxious look - but, far from the explosion of wrath we expected, the Professor merely puffs out her cheeks, and sags in her chair.

"That we need more data. That we could very well have trained those Pokémon to respond to subtle commands, that -" She shakes her head. "- they basically invalidated all of our research with a single loophole. I should have seen it coming."

"So, what're we going to do about this?" I can't help but burst in. "We're not giving up, right?"

The Professor sits up straight at that, and she slams her fist down on her desk with a burst of righteous fury. "Damn right, we're not!" She leans forward, sliding the sheet out of the way - it wafts to the floor and lies there, forgotten. "Listen to me, you three. This is going to sound ridiculous, especially considering your age and occupation, but..."

"But?" Nolene butts in, evidently miffed at not getting to speak before now.

"I'm going to ask something strange of you - take the League Challenge."

_"WHAT?!"_

All three of us shout the same thing in, more or less, unison - and our partners, startled, leap away, cower beneath the desk.

"The Challenge! Take it!" She waves her hands. "Between the gyms and capturing new subjects, there's bound to be some sort of irrefutable proof to be had! Consider this." She settles back in her chair, tents her fingers. "They claim we trained these Pokémon from birth -" she gestures at the two Snivy and the Tepig, who are still cowering under her desk, startled, "- to obey very subtle commands. Very well. Can they claim the same thing about, oh, a Lillipup you captured the very same day, or even a month before? Surely not."

We're all silent for a moment, exchanging thoughtful looks, when -

"...I'll do it." Cheren again, making us look bad. "I think that you have a good point, Professor."

I heave a long-suffering sigh. "I will, as well. There's no reason to make Cheren do this alone."

"Of course I will." Nolene adds. "Someone needs to keep these two out of trouble."

"Then it's settled?" The Professor leans forward, the sparkle in her eye twice as intense as usual. "You'll do this for me? I'd do it myself, but -"

"We know, Professor." I smile, lean forward to pat her hand. "I'm in, if these two are?"

"I am." Nolene nods firmly.

"Of course I am!" Cheren chips in, shoving his glasses up, and his expression is passionately determined.

"All right then!" The professor sits back in her chair, opens a desk drawer, pulls out three Poké Balls. She tosses one to each of us.

"Might as well make it official, then - thumbprint those, Dawn can show you how if you don't remember, and I'll go put your paperwork through." She rises from her chair, steps over our Pokémon - pauses at the door.

"You might want to discuss nicknames with your partners - you can't go calling them "Snivy" and "Tepig" on the challenge. It's considered unlucky."

The door clicks open and shut, and she's gone, for the moment.

The three of us drop from our chairs in unison, and for a time, the room is almost noisy with hisses and grunts as we coax our partners out from under the desk, apologize for scaring them.

My little snakeling is the first to muster the courage to come to me, and I let him snuggle into my hair as my silent apology for overreacting, not minding the mess he makes... well, not too much, anyway.

"Have you decided on anything?" Nolene asks softly, coaxing her Snivy into her lap, and I nod, silently. Cheren shrugs, lightly patting his Tepig. "Have you?"

"Ivy." Nolene responds, simply. "Sometimes simple is best - she seems fine with it. Her name means 'vines climbing a strong tree' anyway."

"I think mine likes the name Felicity." Cheren adds, softly, stroking his Tepig - she coos her assent, snuffles her soft snout over his wrist.

"And you, Dawn?" Nolene smiles, gently. I pause, reach my hand up to tug my little Snivy's tail - he slides, unresisting, into my hands, coils comfortably up, resting his head on my forearm and gazing up at me adoringly.

I lower my voice, switch to a pidgin-dialect of both common and Serperior, careful with my words so that he can understand everything I have to say. _"I had a friend, once, whose memory reminds me very much of you, my darling."_ I pause, bump my nose affectionately against his snout. _"Your name is very long in my tongue - you understand?"_ He nods his tiny head, and I can't help a smile.

_"Tell me, as a substitute, would you accept being called Godfrey? It means 'gods' peace', and it was his name."_ I pause again, swallow a lump in my throat. _"...and - and I would be very happy if you would bear it as well."_ I stop, waiting for his response, a pang of sorrow twisting my gut - it may have been five years, but the loss is still fresh, still painful. It hurts a bit less when my little Snivy nods, brown eyes strangely understanding - he's still just a baby by anyone's standards, and loss is a stranger to him, but I would swear he _knows._

I glance up from my little friend, realize Nolene and Cheren are watching me, and force a broader smile than I feel up to. "Yes, and he's okay with it." I rise, feeling suddenly a little bit naked. "I'm calling him Godfrey."

Cheren doesn't understand - of course he doesn't, we've only known each other about three years - but Nolene does, and she smiles a little, nods.

"It's a good name." Her voice is very gentle.

"Yeah, it is."

We touch our little partners with the balls almost in unison, and they dissolve without resisting, are captured without a struggle. Then the Professor comes back, arms full of Poké Balls, three shiny new trainer cards fanned between her fingers, and there's no time for more conversation between us.

"I've arranged everything," she beams, shoving the balls at us, "and you should have no trouble. However, to keep things easier for everyone, I have another request to make of you."

"Fire away, Professor!" Nolene chirps - _chirps,_ for Arceus' sake! She's never seemed so delighted before, it's almost scary -

"I need you to each restrain yourselves on the catching." The Professor settles on the edge of her desk, tosses us each a simple, pale-blue slip of plastic - our ID for this... I'll be generous and call it an adventure. "One per area, no more, and different Pokémon in each area - we need a variety of dialects and sub-dialects for this."

We nod in unison. It's simple enough.

Silence falls.

"Well?" The Professor finally breaks the silence, flapping her hands dismissively. "Get out of here, go pack! You're leaving first thing tomorrow."

We obey. What else can we do?

...

It's early the next morning - desperately early, the-sun-won't-be-up-for-two-hours-you-maniac early - when Nolene kicks me out of bed. The mental patient is already dressed, fiery hair stuffed under a stocking cap, swathed in a thick beige sweater and jeans, a single-strapped pack slung across her back.

"Fuck off." I slur, jamming my pillow over my head - she ignores me, rips the warm blanket off my bed, jerks the pillow away.

"Get up, it's almost five, you've slept enough - we need to be off early."

"Fuck you." I grumble, pulling my knees up to my chest, hugging them and trying desperately to drift off, shivering in the cold air pouring in from the now-open window.

"No, Dawn - get up already! We're meeting Cheren at six. Go get ready."

I hiss wordlessly - but her next words shut me up.

"I'm making pancakes."

I'm almost instantly up and stumbling for the bathroom, because Nolene's pancakes are worth just about anything - even getting up at the crack of ass in the morning.

...

It's just barely sun-up when we finally walk out to the simply-named Route One - Nolene helped me pack, the new bag slung across my back a last gift from the Professor, filled with everything I can possibly foresee needing... for myself, anyway. At my belt - my new belt, this one a gift from Nolene, with slots for Poké Balls - six orbs bob, the one in front just slightly heavier with Godfrey's presence.

He's still asleep, or he'd be out - I know he'll be clamoring to get loose when it's a little later in the day.

Cheren is leaning against a tree when we finally arrive at the first little grove, toying with Felicity's Poké Ball - he looks up with a tired smile as we join him. "So, early start, then. Accumula today?"

"Hopefully as far as Striaton." Nolene responds, and there's a strangely fiery determination in those blue eyes. "Do you want to go together, or separately?"

He rubs his chin, frowns thoughtfully. "...together has the advantage of safety in numbers, but... Apart we stand a better chance of finding different Pokémon."

"Separately, then." I say, adjusting the strap of my bag. "Who wants to go first?"

Cheren is moving before Nolene can say a word - he nods to each of us, flicks a casual salute off, and strolls off into the trees. I can just barely hear him shout back, "see you in Striaton!"

"Douche." I mumble.

Nolene chuckles her agreement. "So, yeah. I'll see you in Accumula, Dawn - meet me at the Center tonight, maybe?"

"Sounds like a plan, Leenie."

"Don't call me that." She snaps automatically, then smiles. "Ah, whatever - just... yeah, see you later, Dawn. Be safe."

"You too." I sigh, and lean back against the tree, watching her go until she passes behind a tree, and out of my line of sight.

A flicker of movement catches my eye, and my attention is instantly elsewhere.

It's a bird, a small, black and grey bird - a bird that I immediately recognize from my childhood, in Sinnoh, which is odd - Unova is far, far away from the land where I grew up.

I hunker down, carefully, withdraw Godfrey's orb from my belt and press the button, releasing him in a coil on the ground. He yawns ponderously, and I scoop him up, cradling him close to my chest. "Godfrey, sweetie, wake up." I whisper - he blinks, flicks my cheek with his tongue, hisses a wordless question.

I nod towards the bird, hiss-mutter. "Do you remember how to speak Starly?"

He chirps softly in response, then wriggles out of my arms, and scuttles over to the oblivious bird.

A series of chirps and twitters ensues - and then he's quite suddenly on my shoulder again. Not alone, either - the little bird is there as well, looking at me quizzically, and her beady brown eyes are bright with curiosity.

_"Wind-that-blows-across-the-sea comes."_ He hisses tranquilly, and though it's clear he's still quite sleepy, he sounds very proud.

I'm proud of him, too. He's just negotiated with his very first wild Pokémon, and carried it off successfully, while half-asleep - it's a good start, an excellent omen for things to come.

"Ask her if she minds the name Zephyr." I murmur and hiss back to him - he translates into a flurry of chirps, nudges me to say the name at the end of his chatter.

"Zephyr."

The Starly cheeps amiably - and, with a smile, I raise a ball to her face, let her peck the button and vanish safely into its confines.

"Not bad. Welcome to the team, Zephyr." I realize I can't stop smiling, even though my face hurts - but I can't bring myself to mind. Godfrey curls triumphantly around my neck, is soon asleep - and I shake my head fondly, start walking.

I can always run from whatever jumps out at me, after all.

...

We make it to Accumula town in good time, around noon - the place is nearly deserted, weirdly enough.

I can't stifle a frown - this is strange. Confused and feeling intensely nosy, I begin snooping around.

There's no one in any of the main areas I can see - not even around the Pokémon Center, and that's frightfully unusual.

As a last-ditch effort, I check the small park just west of the center of town, and, lo and behold, there's someone there - jackpot.

He's big - really big - really, really big, easily seven feet tall, and for a moment I question the wisdom of disturbing him. But then, I'm a scientist - we don't shy away from the things that might hold answers to our questions, no matter how dangerous they look.

I decide I'm going to bother him, and I go into the park. Do I question my own sanity? Every moment of the day.

"Excuse me?" I lightly touch the big man's trenchcoat-clad shoulder, only able to reach it because he's hunched over, scrutinizing something closely - and the response is immediate and violent. He yelps in surprise, grabs me by the wrist so hard I can feel the bones grind together, and for a moment I'm genuinely terrified I've just gotten myself killed - but then he looks at me, really looks, and relaxes all at once. Then he lets me go with a sheepish, "Ah, I am apologizing."

He rises to his full - impressive - height, makes a polite bow. "I am indeed very sorry, dear young lady, yes? I am on the trail of mine arch-nemesis, as you say, and I am very... how do you say, jumpy? Yes, jumpy." An almost shy smile spreads across his face. "You are not hurt?"

"No - no, I'm fine." I can't help but smile back, though I'm sure the latent terror shines through. "Thank you, though - I'm just fine. Who're you?"

"Ah, my dear young lady." He smiles, and it softens the deep-worn lines around his mouth, on his forehead. "I am... undercover, yes? You may be calling me, ah... Looker, I am supposing."

I nod. "Well, Looker - my name is Dawn, Dawn Blaise - it's, er, very nice to meet you, and I ought to be going."

I turn without waiting for a response - and nearly run straight into a Garchomp.

Naturally, I scream like a little girl - because, really, all those teeth _right in front of your face?_ Just a little terrifying - but then, Looker stands up and shouts something in a language I don't recognize, and the Garchomp settles onto its haunches and _offers me a claw for a handshake._

I stare at it, uncomprehending for just a moment, but then I recover, gently shake its claw. "And who might you be, my scaly friend?"

Looker chuckles, a deep, rumbly sound, from startlingly close behind me. "I am apologizing once again - this is my little friend Vanya, yes? He was only coming to see what was going on." His voice softens. "Excuse my, how do you say, my prying, but - Dawn Blaise of Twinleaf Village?"

My breath catches in my throat, and I whip about to look at him. "Y-yes, by way of Sandgem..."

"Ah, then we are perhaps friends by proxy." He smiles again, but this time the expression is painfully sad. "I was known of one Gavin Evans, who I am believing you also knew, yes?"

I bite my lip until I taste copper, and nod. "...yes, he - we were friends, yes."

"...ah." He looks away. "...I apologize once again. I am wishing you well, Dawn, yes? You have nothing to be fearing from me." He turns away, gestures sharply to the Garchomp - I watch as he begins to leave, then, impulsively, shout, "wait!"

He turns back to me, openly confused - and, hastily, I rummage my bag, bring out a plastic bag of liquid-gel pills, which I hold out. "Y-your Garchomp, his scales look a little dull - this is a supplement, it should help."

For a moment, we stand unmoving, me with a bag of pills in my hand, him just... there, hands hanging by his sides, his Garchomp gazing at me quizzically.

Then he smiles, that sad, little smile, and steps forward to take the bag. For a moment, that huge hand envelops mine, and then he bows once more, just a little, murmurs a polite, "thank you," and... then he walks away, and I'm left just standing there, confused.

With a helpless little shrug, I turn away, too, and head for the Pokémon Center. I have a friend to meet, after all.

It's not until nearly twenty minutes after I reach the Center that I realize - I never asked him what was going on.


	3. Chapter 2

I walk into the Pokémon Center - and am immediately almost bowled off my feet by a redheaded blur. Nolene drags me over to the waiting area, sits me down, looks me over minutely while gabbling - something about green hair and not just us and she's not making any sense -

"Dawn," she finally gasps, settling back on her heels in front of me, "there's something seriously strange going on."

"What? What is it?"

It's then that I get a good look at her.

She's tousled and dirty, her sweater splotched with mud and - I bite my lip, reach out and turn her head to get a closer look at the jagged cut on her face. "Nola, what happened?"

She sighs heavily, and rakes her tangled curls out of her face. "There was a... I don't like to call it a riot, but... eh. Let's... let's call it a really violent rally, I guess - there was a man in robes who was demanding that people release their Pokémon, and a bunch of guys in masks and a -" She cuts herself off, breathing deeply, and I can count every freckle on her face, she's gone so pale. "- Zekrom's bolts, it just hit me - there was a _HYDREIGON_, Dawn. A - a Mewdamn Hydreigon. It - it didn't do anything, but - where did a bunch of goons get something like _that?_ And why would they bring it _here?_"

"I don't know - but what happened?" I need more information - I don't know what to think, not yet.

"There was a panic." She shakes her head, scrambles into a chair and slumps back against the back of it. "I got knocked over and trampled, nearly lost Ivy - someone kicked me." She lightly touches the cut, winces, and frowns. "Then this - this guy with green hair - he helped me up, picked Ivy up -" She grins. "She bit him. She never does that."

Her expression grows bright. "The weird part is - after that, he - Dawn, he _said something._ In Serperior-dialect, perfect accent and everything. I don't even know what it was, exactly, a question maybe, but it made Ivy incredibly angry."

My breath catches and I can feel my eyes trying to pop out of my head. "He - he speaks Serperior?"

"Not just Serperior - Liepard too." She frowns slightly. "He had a Purrloin - or at least it obeyed him. It came out of an alley and it jumped Ivy, and..." She shakes her head, amused. "I had no idea she had it in her, but she threw it right at his face."

"Ivy did _what?_"

"Threw a Purrloin right into some green-haired guy's face." She rakes a hand through her curls again, stirring up a tiny puff of dust. "He left after that - but he told me I really shouldn't be, and I quote, 'keeping that Snivy from attaining her full potential.'"

"...that _is_ odd." I frown - and then freeze as something she said earlier niggles at me. "... Nola, not to change the subject, but... which way did they go, after the riot?"

The dawning horror in her eyes confirms my fears. "Striaton."

In unison, we murmur, "Cheren."

And then we're up and running, exhaustion and injuries and confusion all forgotten - because our friend is quite possibly in danger, and there is no Arceusdamn way we're leaving him to face it alone.

Nolene is taller than I am, and faster - she's out of sight in minutes, even though I'm running as hard as I can. All I can do is push my burning legs, my aching lungs, to their limit and beyond and hope to catch up.

I look up as a drop of water splashes against my cheek, and realize that the sunny sky has darkened - a storm is rolling in.

I hope that it's just a vagary of the weather and not an omen, and I run.

...

There are two ways from Accumula to Striaton - a winding walking path where young trainers often go to play, and a straight road for those with vehicles. Nolene is waiting where the path splits, pacing anxiously, and she shakes her head when she sees me, shouts over the rising wind, "I don't know which way he went!"

I look left, right, make a snap decision. "You're faster than I am - take the long way; I'll stick to the road. One of us is bound to find him!"

She nods, releases Ivy and a Patrat I don't recognize - the Snivy curls around her neck, the Patrat takes off down the path, and she races off after. They're out of sight again in moments.

Taking her example, I let Godfrey and Zephyr out of their balls, scoop my little Snivy into my arms. "Godfrey, tell Zephyr we're looking for my friend - Cheren, you remember Cheren, don't you?" He nods. "You're so clever, sweetie - can you describe him to her, and tell her it's very important we find him? He might be somewhere along this road." I point down the broad street. "Do you understand?"

He nods again, and then launches into a flurry of excited chirps, rustling back and forth in my arms. Zephyr squeals, launches herself into the air - circles, and darts off down the road. I breathe deeply, twice, hoping to calm my racing heartbeat - and then dash after her, praying to deities I don't really believe in for the safety of my friends.

Overhead, Zephyr is invisible against the clouds - I can just barely hear her excited chirping over the whistle of the wind, the crackle of thunder.

And then she shrills, and dives like a black bolt from the blue - lands on a bush and spreads her wings wide, chattering excitedly.

My heart sinks into my stomach as I muster my last reserves and burst through the brush.

Cheren is lying there, flat on his face, unmoving, the tails of his blue blazer flapping in the storm-wind.

Godfrey scuttles up onto my shoulder, and I can hear him chattering Starly-wise at Zephyr - dimly hear the rush of tiny wings. He hisses, _"Help,"_ and I jolt out of my shocked daze, stroke his head, and hasten to my friend's side.

For a moment, I'm terrified to touch him - but then I do, feeling for a pulse at the side of his neck, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding when I find it. It's easy to tell what caused this, now that I'm closer - there's a swollen lump on the back of his head, and his black hair is matted with blood.

Someone hit him.

If it's not one of the inciters from Accumula, I'll eat my journal.

Godfrey slithers down my arm as I carefully look Cheren over, making sure he's not injured anywhere else, and when I glance back at him I can see his forked tongue working overtime. _"Not here."_ He hisses.

"What isn't here?" I peer at Godfrey as he curls up in the grass, and frown as I realize that his scales are less vibrantly green than usual in the chill of the wind.

_"Fire-blends-in-the-sky."_ It takes me a moment to remember that, oh, that's Serperior-idiom for Felicity the Tepig's actual name - and I frown as I carefully, carefully turn Cheren over. I know it's a terrible idea, but I'm reasonably sure he didn't fracture his spine by getting lammed over the head and I'm more worried about keeping him breathing until help arrives than anything.

He groans as I finally manage to ease him over onto his back, and I hastily grab him by the shoulders, intent on holding him down. "Don't move, Cher' - someone hit you, one of my Pokémon's going for help. Do you remember what happened?"

He blinks at me through water-freckled glasses, furrows his brow curiously. "...Dawn? Y'got here fast." His speech is slurred, clumsy, and for a moment he lies still, collecting himself - but then, suddenly he tries to throw himself upright, and it takes all my weight to keep him down.

"Felicity!" He gasps - and I grit my teeth.

"Cheren, stay _down._ What happened to Felicity? Godfrey said she's not here."

"S-some... some guy. In an outfit." He scrunches his eyes shut, shakes his head minutely. "Said something about potential, and how I didn't deserve Felix - she got really mad about that, of course, and then -" He winces. "...guess 's when I got hit."

"It's okay." I frown, reach over to scoop Godfrey up, tuck him into my jacket to keep him warm. "We'll find her, just hold still -"

It's about then that I hear pounding feet, the faint flitter and chirp of a Starly overhead - and I raise my voice in an anxious shout. "Over here! We're over here!"

Zephyr zips out of the sky, lands on my head, and I can feel her shaking with exhaustion as Nolene crashes through the bushes, followed by a couple of men in dark blue pants and white shirts with the universal badge of the healer stitched on their shoulders - a snake wrapped around a rough staff.

Cheren shakes me off, sits slowly up, gritting his teeth. "I'm fine."

"He was hit on the head hard enough to knock him out." I interject. "He's not fine, and thank you for getting here so quickly."

Nolene settles down on her heels next to us, and she's panting so hard she can barely speak. "Happened?" She gasps, Ivy dropping off her shoulder to crawl up on my knee. She takes a poke at Godfrey as he nestles in my jacket, and I shake my head.

"Cheren got in trouble." I pause, wait for her to get her breath, then add, "they took Felicity."

_"WHAT?!"_ Nolene shrills - and then she's on her feet, drags me up with her. "W-we have to go - please see that our friend makes it to Striaton safely? There's - something terrible's happened!"

And then she's running again, and I'm stumbling after her, barely avoiding dropping Ivy and Godfrey, Zephyr peeping frantically and digging her tiny claws into my scalp -

"Where-" I blurt, frantically shoving the two Snivy onto my shoulders, jerking loose to run on my own. Nolene shakes her head, throws herself forward. "Striaton - they - there was a commotion -"

"Think it's them?" I wheeze, and I'm amazed I'm still standing at this point, let alone keeping up the piteous jog that I am - Arceus, I am no distance runner.

Nolene shakes her head, pants out. "Worth a shot."

We run - I use the term quite loosely - nearly all the way to Striaton, stop just outside to catch our breath.

"Where -" I wheeze, and she shrugs.

"Split -" She gasps back.

"To?"

She points wordlessly to the northeast and I ransack my brain to remember just what she's directing me _towards._

"What-?"

"Abandoned -" She wheezes, hands on her knees. "- factory. Dreamyard. You."

"Gotcha." I slowly, slowly straighten, hold my breath for a moment - wait for the stars to clear from before my eyes, then let Ivy slither off my arm and coil beside Nolene. I turn, with a little sigh, and start walking. "I'll remember my Pokétch this time - keep yours on."

"Be careful!" Nolene calls after me, and I nod grimly. "You too."

We'll have to be, if someone's willing to go so far as violence.

...

The Dreamyard, as it's colloquially called by the residents of Striaton, was once a laboratory. That was nearly thirty years ago - and as it fell into disrepair, then full-on ruin, more and more Pokémon have moved in. I've heard the place is beloved of the psychic-type Munna, but I'm really not sure; the one time I came here with the Professor and the others, all we saw were Patrat and Purrloin.

I remember it as very peaceful.

That is about the last adjective I'd use for it right now - it's not _loud_, but the noises I hear put me right on edge; they sound like fighting.

Not good.

Godfrey hisses in alarm as we pass between the trees towards the source of the muffled din, his little body rigid against the back of my neck. _"Here. They are here."_

He never repeats himself - this can't be good. I peel him from my neck, tuck him back into my jacket, whisper, _"Stay quiet, darling."_

The last thing I want is for him to get hurt, the poor baby.

I round a tree, and stop dead.

Two men in strange, archaic clothing are commanding easily a dozen Pokémon - mostly Patrats, but also a few Purrloin, and they're closing slowly but steadily in on two tiny figures.

One of them is Felicity, cowering but still radiating defiance, spouting tiny bursts of flame at anything that comes near - the other, though, is new; a tiny, round, pink Pokémon, and it's making the strangest noises, and waves of... of _energy_ are pouring off it, distorting the air, like heatwaves rising off the pavement on a midsummer day.

It's not doing as much as I'd imagined it would - the swarm of Patrats and Purrloins is steadily closing in, and I have no idea what to do - Godfrey would be eaten alive if I sent him in there, Zephyr...

Zephyr's my only other option, and my stomach sinks to my knees at the thought - she's going to die for sure if I throw her into that morass of teeth and talons.

But they're closing in on the poor psychic and Felicity, and I have to do something - I remember my Pokétch this time, hiss a hasty, "GET OVER HERE I FOUND THEM" to Nolene, and then...

Then I do something supremely stupid.

Well, first I recall my Pokémon - if I'm going to get my ass handed to me, I'd prefer they didn't get caught in the crossfire. Then I stoop, grab a reasonably-sized dead branch, and charge forward with a wordless war-whoop.

My first swing knocks a couple of Patrats spinning, the backswing catches a Purrloin mid-pounce, and suddenly the odds are a little more even - the Munna knocks a third Patrat away with a burst of pink light, Felicity brightens up as she recognizes me and suddenly the flames are absolutely flying -

And then the pain hits me as sharp teeth sink into my left calf.

I don't scream, but the bite came at an awkward time mid-swing, and I'm thoroughly unbalanced - I sway, teeter, drop my branch and tumble with a yelp, curl into a ball, expecting another attack any second now, completely unprepared for it -

Suddenly, there's a noiseless, lightning-flash explosion of _green._ I'm blinded, but I can hear the squeals and yelps of dismay from the Pokémon and the men; and then there's something touching me - not physically, but I'm aware of something new blossoming in the back of my mind.

_Throw. Just throw, and ask questions later._

I feel something hard and round and solid drop into my open right hand, clench my fingers around it, and blindly fling it from me.

There's the familiar sound of a Poké Ball opening, and then I hear the sound of pressurized water, and Felicity squealing her angriest squeal, and a strange whistle-crackle-snap that I assume is the Munna, and suddenly the men are adding to the cacophony, yelling in terror - something about... Gay cheese?

Something crashes past me, and it's about then that my eyesight begins to come back.

There's a veritable heap of Patrats, with a few Purrloin here and there, lying in the soft, green grass; hopefully still alive. Felicity looks none the worse for wear, thank Arceus, and the Munna is bobbing happily, nuzzling a larger, even brighter pink Pokémon. The men, thank Arceus again, are nowhere to be seen.

And there's something coming towards me, through the tall grass.

I sit up, slowly, blinking rapidly to clear the flashing colors from my eyes - and suddenly, something small and quick leaps from the grass, tackles me so hard I nearly go back over. I brace myself with one arm, catch the thing with the other - I look down -

And reproachful red eyes look back at me from a familiar, blue, beaked face.

My mouth goes cottony. _"LILY?"_

The Piplup - _MY_ Piplup, my Piplup who I left in Sinnoh - quacks gleefully, wraps stubby flippers as far around me as she can reach in a hug. I squeeze her gently, suddenly aware of the gleeful grin on my face. "How'd you get here?"

_I brought her._

Something tugs on my hair, and I peer over my shoulder, quizzically.

It's a Kirlia who's standing there, mint-green hair fastened into neat little pigtails, bright blue eyes fixed on me like she can see right through me. _Hello again! Do you remember me?_

I blink a couple more times, squint through the last of the colorful shadows. "...Have we met?"

For answer, the Kirlia steps forward, touches a delicate fingertip to my forehead -

_Lake Verity, riding on something soft and fluffy and golden, and then my own voice - "HEY!" and "Aww, was this your accomplice?" and-_

I jerk back, startled. "Don't do that!"

_Sorry!_ She smiles shyly. _But do you remember me now?_

I nod. "Not your name, but you... You were theirs."

_The other way around._ She shakes her head. _They were mine._ She minces up next to me, settles daintily into the grass. _I've been looking for you for a while now._

**Yes,** **I altered the Dreamyard monkey to Lily the Piplup. It's... a bit easier to work into the narrative - especially considering my actual catch there.**


	4. Chapter 3

It's then that I hear a commotion from the trees - and a moment later, Nolene comes barrelling out of the scrub, Ivy in her arms -

She's being chased by a Garchomp and a - a purple frog from Sinnoh, what's the word - Toxicroak!

"Nola!" I shout, horrified, half-rise - wince and fall back as my leg gives out. What was on those teeth?

Nolene alters her course, skids to a halt on one knee next to me, dropping Ivy unceremoniously to pull out a scarf from her bag and slap it over my bite wound, leaning on it to stop the bleeding. "Zekrom's bolts, Dawn, what the hell happened?"

I grab her arm, point at the two enormous Pokémon that are now standing behind her, my voice rising to a squeak. "Nolaaaa-"

She spares a glance at them, shakes her head, smiles, and goes back to patching me up. "It's okay - they're friendly."

It's not that I don't believe her, it's just that they're very, very big, and I feel very, very small - but Ivy doesn't seem afraid, and Felicity, timid as she is, even seems content to sniff around their massive, sharp-clawed hind feet, so I don't say anything else.

A moment later, there's a sound like a Donphan crashing through the scrub, and I latch onto Nolene's arm again as a gargantuan man comes charging out of the trees. For a moment I'm confused - but then I recognize him; it's the guy I met in Accumula not two hours ago.

He spots us nearly instantly, thunders over, drops to his knees beside us with an earth-shaking thud. "Reshiram on high! What has been occurring here?"

The two Pokémon take a step forward, but he raises a hand, says something in that strange language again, and they settle down on the ground, waiting.

As he speaks, the Kirlia perks up, looks at him closely, reaches out a hand and taps on his shoulder. He pivots, peers quizzically at her, for a moment they just stare at each other - and then there's a crackle of green and she's perched on his shoulder, and he's laughing and ruffling her hair with one enormous hand. "Little girl! It has been many years, yes? You have grown!"

_I think you have too!_ She's laughing too, and it's a strange sound - I didn't know Kirlia could vocalize properly. _You're even huger!_

"Ah, but little girl, huger is not a word!"

_It is now, so there!_

Nolene clears her throat significantly - and when I look down I realize why; I'm bleeding straight through the scarf. That's... not good.

_Oops._

The little psychic type tugs on the big man's hair. _I shouldn't have distracted you - Dawn's hurt._

He blinks, looks - flinches. "Ah - I am most apologetic! Please, allow me." He shuffles up next to me, on his knees, and Nolene quirks an eyebrow inquisitively.

Her hands are still wrapped tightly around my calf, and I can see bloodstains on her fingers.

No wonder I'm feeling a little woozy. Did not think a Patrat - or was it a Purrloin? Did I - no, I didn't see. Didn't think it would bleed that much, though.

And then I'm moving, and I was hardly expecting that - huh, he's pretty strong, isn't he?

Reminds me of when Daddy would put me to bed at night.

...

_Pale pink billows of warmth and a sensation of belonging, something I've never felt, never expected to feel._

_Hello, beloved._

_It's like floating on a cloud of love and acceptance and a thousand thousand gentle caresses everywhere, a balm on a spirit that had been destroyed almost beyond recovery._

_Almost, but not quite._

_I see her without seeing her, mother, my mother who was not my mother but should have been, and she loves me for myself, and she's sorry, so sorry, she's not omniscient and she's not omnipotent but she's here now, for me and only for me -_

_I need you to do something for me, beloved._

_And then to me, not to me but to __**me -**___

_I show you so that you might understand._

...

When I regain consciousness, I'm in the Pokémon Center - at least, I think it's the Pokémon Center, judging by the decor - bandaged, covered in blankets, alone in a dark room. I can see my Poké Balls piled on the nightstand, and my head is thrumming like a plucked guitar string, but -

Felicity, Nolene - Cheren! Oh, Arceus, I've been lax -

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed - but then there's a flash of green, and the Kirlia's sitting next to me, a restraining hand on my arm. _Don't get up, please?_ Her eyes glitter midnight-blue in the dim. _Everything's okay - your friends are fine. Lily's right here too, see?_

A ball glows green, drops to the floor - it opens, and, yes, there she is - my little Piplup, blinking quizzically up at me. I reach down, scoop her into my lap, wondering what the heck I've missed -

The Kirlia curls her dainty arms around her knobby knees, and drops her chin onto them. _Not much. My name is Averoigne, by the way._

I wince, stroking Lily's smooth plumage. "Please don't read my mind. I hate feeling like -"

_- your thoughts aren't your own, I know._ She doesn't look at me. _I'm very sorry - it's not something I can help. It's like asking me to turn off my ears._

"You could -" I hesitate, because I do understand the biology - really, I do, she's a Psychic-type, they can't help their extra sense, but it still makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I like my thoughts being mine, and only mine.

_I can't. I am sorry, really, I am._

I shake my head, fumble blindly with the balls on the nightstand until Godfrey and Zephyr are free, too, let him crawl up my arm and curl around my neck as she settles on the head of the bed, tucks her tiny head beneath her tiny wing. "...why are you here?"

_I need something from you._ She hunches, and her blue eyes are misty, faraway, her tiny hands playing patterns against her shins. I blink, shift Lily gently onto a pillow as she snuggles down, preparing to go to sleep. "What?"

_Memories._ That gives me pause.

"What?"

_I -_ She hunkers down even lower, a tiny ball of grey and red and green against the dim floral pattern of the hideous bedspread. _It's - it's a ritual, it's what we do for - for the people we've lost. I was much too young before, but I never forgot and - and I don't want to, but I never knew..._

I stare at her, and I'm not sure if she reads the confusion in my face or my thoughts, but she elaborates, her eyes glued to the floor. _I was too young to understand, back then, and - and I want this to come out right, and I can't ask family members; I was a friend, not family, it wouldn't be right. So, that left you._

"You hunted me down because you want my memories of... of the boys?" I frown as she nods, just minutely.

_Not - not to take them! Just... I want to know who they were, really. All my own memories are... they're cloudy._

I take a moment and just breathe, let my mind buzz down to a more comfortable pace before I decide, even though it's no decision at all.

"All right."

The look of gratitude that those words earn me is heartbreaking.

_I - one more request?_

"Shoot."

She fidgets. _Can I stay here? They used to let me sleep with them and - and I've missed that a lot._

I look back at the bed, calculating how much space I'll need, then shrug. "...sure, I'm a pretty placid sleeper. Just don't wake Lily or Godfrey."

_Thank you._ She hugs me, which confuses me just a little - we've barely met, and yet she acts like she's known me forever.

I really don't know what to do, so I pat her gently on the head.

"Good night."

She lets go, smiles timidly, curls up on a spare pillow - it's almost startling how compact she can make herself. _Good night, Dawn._

And that's how I sleep that night, a Snivy coiled around my head, a Piplup tucked under my arm, a Starly above me and a Kirlia beside.

It's less uncomfortable than it sounds.

...

Morning comes entirely too early - but once the sun's started poking me in the eye, it's impossible to get back to sleep, so I grudgingly stumble out of bed, and limp off to take a shower.

I peel the bandages off my leg and have a good look at the injury before I step into the shower; judging by the pattern and depth of the gashes, it was a Patrat bite, and my leg is sore and difficult to move - there must be some muscle damage, Arceusdammit. At least it's been stitched together. They must've done that while I was unconscious.

Thankfully, there's no sign of infection, but I'll still have to take it easy - double Arceusdammit, I haven't even beaten the first gym yet!

Hm.

Beating the gyms.

That's going to be... slightly less than easy.

I push the thought from my mind, and step into the shower, careful to keep my wound dry. I can worry about the gym later - for now, a shower, then breakfast, and then to find out how Cheren is.

The challenge can wait.

...

My Pokémon, and Averoigne, are all waiting for me when I get out of the bathroom, clean, damp, and clad in my comfortable old jeans and sweater.

I look them over - Godfrey is sulking a little, I'm going to have to make sure he and Lily have plenty of supervised interactions... Lily is ignoring him in favor of Zephyr, who is engrossed in preening, and Averoigne... I'm surprised to see the Kirlia herself toying with a Poké Ball as she stands, and I raise an eyebrow in wordless question while tousling the last of the water out of my hair.

For answer, she floats it over to me, drops it in my hands as soon as I dump the towel in the hamper. I turn it over, squinting at the messily engraved name beneath the hinge. Averoigne.

I glance up at her, mildly surprised. "This is -"

_Mine, yes._ She smiles at me, and her blue eyes glimmer. _Take me with you. I'm old enough to fight, now, and I need to learn how to anyway. I can help you._ She holds out a hand. _Partners?_

For answer, I smile, walk over to the dresser where my belt lies coiled, click the ball into one of the slots meant to hold it, then turn back to her with a nod. "Yes, Averoigne. Partners."

She lights up like someone's flicked a switch, all green and glowing, and launches herself at me in a startlingly-strong hug. _Thank you thank you thank you-!_

It's about then that my stomach growls, and she lets go with a startled little chirp - again with the vocalizations, I'll need to ask the Professor about that. _Sorry, I forgot, you slept through your evening meal, didn't you?_

She doesn't wait for me to answer, instead grabbing my wrist and tugging. _Come on, then - they're just making morning foods now._

I let her drag me out of the room even as Godfrey hisses his protests, scampering frantically after. _"Wait for me! Wait!"_

The others follow much more sedately, and I can't help a stifled giggle when we stop to open a door - because that's when Godfrey catches up, swarms up my leg, wriggles onto my shoulder and curls up there with a grumble. _"Said wait."_

My little Snivy is such a lazy thing.

...

Averoigne leads me to Cheren and Nolene - they're waiting outside the café right next to the Pokémon Center, Ivy and Felicity curled on their laps, an unfamiliar Lillipup sitting under Nolene's chair.

"Dawn!" Cheren shoots to his feet, nearly falls over - his chivalrous side's going to be the death of him, I swear. I wave him off before he tries to get over and, what, help me to my seat when he can barely stand? "Good morning, Cher', good morning Nola - I'm fine, really, what's for breakfast?"

Cheren sheepishly resumes his seat. "We were waiting for you before we ordered."

"And we just got here, so we weren't waiting long." Nolene kicks my chair out for me, and I settle gratefully into it, wincing a little as I stretch my sore calf. "Thanks." I murmur, as my Pokémon settle in around me - Averoigne plumps herself down in midair, Godfrey settles in my lap, Zephyr and Lily under the table with the Lillipup.

What little conversation there was peters out as we pore over the menus, get our food and dig in - I, at least, feel like I haven't eaten in days, thanks to all the exercise. Hey, being the Professor's intern is time-consuming, and not exactly the most physical of jobs. Maybe this trip will be good for something, even if it's just whipping me back into shape.

"Dawn?" I glance up from my plate, meet Nolene's eyes. "Did you hear me?"

I blink. "...I, uh... nope. Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, we should train our Pokémon a bit before we try to fight the Gym Leader." She settles back in her chair. "Being able to give them complex suggestions in a language the leader can't understand is certainly an advantage - but when you get right down to it, we haven't really... They're innately _able_ to fight, but that doesn't make them _good_ at it."

Cheren chimes in. "That, and... if that group that tried to kidnap Felicity tries anything again, I think it would be best if our Pokémon knew what to do. I'm just lucky Felix decided on fighting rather than running, otherwise we probably wouldn't be here." He lowers his voice, leans forward, lightly rests his hand on my forearm. "Thank you, by the way."

I pat his hand gently. "You're welcome, Cher'. I know you'd do the same if our positions were reversed -" I grin. "- well, not _exactly_ the same, but something that would wind up the same way."

_Only, maybe, without getting bitten by an angry Patrat?_ Averoigne's eyes twinkle.

"...Something like that, yeah." I shake my head. "Got off-topic. Yeah, training sounds like a good idea."

"It's decided, then." Nolene sits back in her chair, shoves away her plate, cradles her coffee mug. "We'll begin after everyone's eaten. Cheren, do you have any Pokémon besides Felicity?"

He shakes his head. "She... isn't the best negotiator."

I frown thoughtfully - then grin, and whisper to Godfrey, _"ask Zephyr if she likes Cheren."_

The little Starly looks up at me when he relays the question, and she _nods._ I'm impressed - she's picked that gesture up very quickly.

_"Ask if she'd like to go with him, instead of us."_

Another nod.

I glance up at Cheren - then lean across the table, grab his hand, and plunk Zephyr's ball into it. "Now you do. No arguments, she wants to go with you. Fair?"

He looks at the ball, looks under the table at the Starly - smiles. "Fair enough."

"Good." I can't help but smile back; I know he'll take good care of her.

Nolene clears her throat gently, and stands. "Meet back here around five, and we'll compare notes."

"Right."

**Zephyr actually got her ass handed to her right early - but since Cheren winds up with a Starly anyway and this run isn't quite so dark as the other... I figured, why not? Also, Averoigne was a Ralts when I caught her - but I wanted to use her as a Kirlia, since six years is plenty of time to evolve.**

**Next chapter: Exposition! Training! The Gym! (SHENANIGANS**!)

**I altered Lily's "found area" to Striaton City; so I'm not going to be fishing anything else up there. Ave's my Dreamyard critter. It's... a weird little thing I always do in B/W; I don't count the monkey as my Dreamyard dude because, really, there's almost no catches before the first gym. In RSE you might have a full team, in DPPt you'll have at least three on top of your starter, but in B/W there's, what, two routes? Even in BB/VW, with the Dreamyard AND the monkey, you'll have four.**

**Just my personal silly bullshit. :3 I hope that doesn't detract from your enjoyment of the story!**


	5. Chapter 4

It doesn't take long to get out into the open fields - but once we're there, I really have no idea what to do.

It's not that I don't understand type advantages - I do, they're simple enough. I understand what my Pokémon can do, or at least _should_ be able to do, too. I just... have no idea how to help them improve that.

Averoigne, bless her, seems to pick up on that. _Why don't you find something to beat up on, and we'll show you what we can do, and maybe you'll see stuff we can fix? I'll go first!_

I blink. "By something, you mean...?"

_Anything!_ She giggles that queer little giggle. _A rock, a bush, a dead log - just something we can hit._

With a shrug, I let Lily and Godfrey out, pick my little Snivy up and drape him around my shoulders. _"Sweetheart, tell Lily to keep an eye out for any large objects -"_

I'm cut off by the Piplup in question ramming into my ankles and staring up at me, half-reproachful and half-pleading. Godfrey flickers his tongue at her rudely, and I lightly poke him in the head. _"Stop that, darling. I knew her first, you know."_

I scoop Lily up, settle her on my other shoulder.

Godfrey simply sulks.

In the end, it's Averoigne who finds the target we need - the little psychic type comes dancing merrily up to me, a chunk of rotten log bobbing through the air on a cloud of green behind her.

She plunks it on the ground in front of me, smiles brightly. _Okay, I'm going to start, then!_

I nod, take a couple of steps back. "Go ahead, er... Is it all right if I call you Ave'? Your name is a bit long."

She droops a little, nods with a sad little smile. _...they called me Ave'. I'm fine with it if you are._

"All right - go on, then." Godfrey coils his tail around my neck, tucks his head beneath my chin - I calmly interject my hand between him and Lily to keep him from picking a fight, watching as Averoigne circles the log thoughtfully.

_All right... my brother taught me this one._ She stops, folds her hands in front of her, stands perfectly still for just a split second -

And then she's simply not there - and there's a lightning flash of green and a tiny sonicboom that nearly knocks Lily from my shoulder, sends Godfrey hissing in terror into my hair -

She reappears a moment later, on the other side of the log, which now has a large chunk missing from it.

I blink, open my mouth, shut it, open it again - pat the two terrified Pokémon clinging to me, then quietly begin clapping. "That was - holy Arceus, Ave', you're pretty amazing, aren't you?"

She examines her handiwork with a frown, and she doesn't look at me when I speak. _Could've been better - Etienne would've blown that thing right in two!_

"Well, you're not ... Eh- Etienne, was it? - and I think that was marvelous."

_...thank you._ She beams, skips back to my side. _Why don't you see what Lily and..._ It's a strange thing, to "hear" a psychic trail off; it tingles. _...and Godfrey can do?_

"That's a good idea." I ruffle her hair gently - she squeaks and smooths it down as I pick Lily off my shoulder. I bend down, give the little Piplup a nudge towards the log; she looks from it, to me, and back again - then shrugs a tiny little beflippered shrug, and trots over to where it stands.

A moment later, a blast of pressurized water takes another chunk from the battered baulk of timber. Lily looks at me, seeking approval, and I smile and shoot her a thumbs up.

Godfrey _seethes._ He nips my ear angrily - then springs from my shoulder and slithers off through the grass.

_"Come back here right this moment!"_ I snap-hiss - he waves his tail at me in the rudest gesture I've yet seen him use and disappears behind the log.

I pursue, of course - but then there's a startling whining, crackling noise from the log, and I'm forced to leap back when the entire damn thing suddenly topples over.

Lo and behold, my little Snivy is perched atop the tipped timber, looking so smug that I can barely stand it. He slides off the piece of wood, slithers over to me - I scoop him up, tuck him under my arm, and tickle his belly until he's writhing and hissing, _"Stop stop stop!"_

_"You are a horrible fink, you budlet!"_ I whisper back, but I cease tormenting him, instead cradling him in the crook of my left arm and lightly stroking his head. _"My silly little darling."_

He curls up after a moment, contented, and flicks his tongue affectionately against my wrist. Averoigne giggles again - Lily just pretends not to notice. _You spoil him, don't you?_

"Only on days that end with y, Ave'." I smile, make a mental note to see that my poor Piplup gets the attention she deserves at the end of the day. "Now, then - shall we begin?"

_Let's!_

...

We spend all day there in the field, my Pokémon and I, and by the time I call a halt at sunset, I can - astonishingly enough - see a definite improvement in their abilities. Averoigne's gotten a touch quicker with that psychic trick of hers - I can see it becoming exceptionally useful, although I'm worried about her taking hits; she's just a little girl. Lily's improved her water-spitting aim drastically, and even Godfrey got in on things, after a little while - I can already see his innate ability to control plants coming to the fore.

Nolene is waiting for me, sitting on a bench by the gate, when I come back, Godfrey on one shoulder, Lily on the other, Averoigne dancing along behind.

As I get closer, I can see that Ivy is curled on her knee, fast asleep, and the Lillipup from this morning is nestled against her left hip, snoring squeakily. It's... really, rather adorable.

Careful not to disturb the Lillipup, I settle down on the bench, murmur, "new friend?"

She winces at that - that's... unusual.

"Nola?" I reach across, lightly squeeze her shoulder. "What happened?"

"Yucca." She whispers, scooping Ivy into her arms and resting her chin lightly on the sleeping Snivy.

"Who?" I can't conceal my confusion - and I instantly realize it's the wrong thing to say when she actually - Arceus almighty - she actually starts to cry, silently. "Nola, wha -"

"The Patrat." She sniffs angrily, knuckling at her eyes. "It's - it's incredibly stupid; I barely knew him and - and -" She shakes her head sharply, just once. "It was an accident. Mesquite -" she indicates the happily dozing Lillipup, "was excited - he came charging in while we were walking and - and then there was a crack and Yucca..."

I wince. "...oh, Nola." I set Godfrey and Lily gently down, slide off the bench to kneel in front of her, and wrap my arms around her, careful not to disturb Ivy. "These things happen, I'm so sorry."

She drops her head on my shoulder, and sighs softly. "I know that it's natural, but... I'd just met him, Dawn. He was a nice little fellow - Ivy seemed to like him, he was the first Pokémon we ever negotiated with..."

"I'm sorry, Nola." I ruffle her curls gently, and she sighs again.

"I know, Dawn. I just feel like I let the little guy down; I should've noticed and interceded. Mesquite was pretty torn up about it too. He just wanted to play." She thumps her forehead lightly against my shoulder. "It was terrible all around." She clears her throat softly, then. "Where do you suppose Cheren is?"

"He'll be around, I'm sure." I murmur softly, riffling her hair again. "All right, Nola?"

"Yes, I am." She bumps the side of her head lightly against mine. "Thanks, Dawn."

"Any time."

Cheren doesn't show up for nearly half an hour more - the sky is beginning to redden when he, Zephyr and Felicity make their appearance, all of them dusty and clearly exhausted, but just as obviously proud.

He doesn't even greet us before he insists we're taking on the gym either tomorrow or the day after.

Neither of us objects - if he can do it, so can we.

...

It's well past sunset when we finally get to bed - we spent nearly two hours over dinner discussing strategies. We know for a fact that the first gym is intrinsically unfair - it's meant to be as a test for new trainers. We'll all be facing the type that our starters are worst against - in Nolene's and my case, fire, in Cheren's, water.

Luckily for me, I have Lily. Unluckily for them, they... don't.

It's somewhat worrisome.

_Dawn?_

I glance up from the washbasin, toothbrush in my mouth, quirk an eyebrow at Averoigne as she sits on the edge of the bed, and make a noise of inquiry.

_Can we - can I maybe take a look at a memory tonight?_

My other eyebrow joins my first as I rinse my mouth out, turn to face her. "You haven't already?"

_No... I'm not all that good at it, yet._ She droops a little. _So, um... it'll have to be at night, I think, because it'll be... until I'm better at this, we'll both be seeing it and it'll take about as long as it did to actually happen, so..._

I sigh, raking my hair back into its customary nightly ponytail. "...Just let me pick the memory, if you can?" I don't say it, but - there are a few that I'd rather not relive right now; and I think she picks up on the thought, because she nods, curls up on her pillow.

_Just point it out as you're drifting off, okay?_

I settle Godfrey and Lily in, crawl into bed myself, nod once as I settle down and shut my eyes. "How?"

_I - I guess just think really hard about it._

I do as she says, and... the sensation is infinitely strange; like someone holding hands with my mind, leading me as I lead her and -

...

_It's summer. Late summer, a warm, breezy day, and I'm up a tree at Lake Verity, swinging my legs carelessly off a branch, enjoying the sun and the wind on my damp skin and debating jumping back in the lake for another lap. I'm maybe fifteen._

_The boys are sitting side-by-side on a slightly lower branch, chatting softly._

_"What'cha talking about?" I chirp, leaning down so I can hear them a little better._

_"Eh, stuff." Gavin shrugs - he's almost seventeen, at the tail end of his growth spurt, gangly and skinny and just a little awkward, wearing the ridiculous neon-orange swimming trunks that are practically his trademark. "Didja know I was almost named Bartholemew?"_

_"...what?" I feel my eyebrow quirk, clamber off my branch to one that's slightly closer to their level. "What brought that comment on?"_

_He grins sheepishly. "I was talking to Mom today, and she told me how Dad almost, almost named me after Grandpa Barry." He holds up two fingers with the tiniest of spaces between. "It was apparently like this close before she talked him out of it. So I'm named after great-grandpa..." He sighs. "Although I'm still stuck with __**that**__ as my middle name."_

_"...Your middle name's Bartholomew?" Godfrey, similarly spindly, similarly clad - though he's wearing blue rather than obnoxious orange - laughs softly, nearly topples off the branch. Gavin steadies him automatically. "Yeah, don't kill yourself laughing, 'frey. What's __**your**__ middle name? Bet your mom almost named you that."_

_He deflates a little, goes a touch red, mumbles something inaudible._

_"What's that, now?" They're almost nose-to-nose, Gavin is grinning like an idiot, I'm leaning forward on my branch and praying I don't fall -_

_Godfrey clears his throat, looks away. "...Frederick."_

_"...oh. That was - oh. I - sorry, 'frey." Gavin clings to the branch with one hand, wraps the other arm around his shoulders in an apologetic little hug._

_"It's fine, Gav'." I think he's incapable of being angry at McDerpenstein there, really. And, Arceus above, he's actually blushing! It's honestly adorable._

_They sit in silence for a moment, and I can feel the mood starting to darken -_

_"I was almost named Francisca." I blurt, hastily. The boys both stare at me._

_"You -" Godfrey sputters - Gavin guffaws. "You were almost named __**WHAT?**__"_

_"Francisca!" I spread my hands, shrug. "Mom loved the name, from what Dad tells me. I, uh... can't say I agree." The boys nod in unison as I continue. "I'm just lucky Dad's a great big nerd who loves the Justice Hero games - he talked her out of naming me something that's one letter off that crazy lady with the whip. Said he'd never be able to look me in the eye."_

_"So where'd Dawn come from, then?" Godfrey cocks his head, birdlike._

_I shrug. "The sun was coming up."_

...

The sun peeping through the curtains wakes me, and as I sit up, my vision blurry and my cheeks damp, I realize I've been crying. I creep out of the bed, turn back to make sure I haven't disturbed any of the Pokémon. Godfrey and Lily are still fast asleep, placid and oblivious.

Averoigne is still asleep, too, but I can see the sparkle of tears on her eyelashes, and I take a moment to gently dry them with the tail of my nightgown before I go to get ready for the day.

I can't help but worry that agreeing to share my memories was a bad idea - the last thing we need is for her to get hurt because she's distracted.

Maybe I just won't let her fight...

...

Cheren, Nolene and I meet outside the gym - which is, oddly enough, also the café we've been eating at - as we'd agreed the night before. There's not much to say, really.

"I'm going first." Cheren declares, calmly.

Okay, except for that.

He looks peculiarly smug - actually, Nolene looks oddly satisfied as well.

Curious.

We enter the café-gym together, Cheren in front, since he wants to go first.

"Good morning! Table for three?" The same waitress who's been serving every morning we've come in greets us now.

"Actually, how would we arrange for a gym battle?" He nudges his glasses up his nose, smiles - and even though I've seen it before, I must admit, he does have a charming smile.

The waitress clearly agrees - she giggles. _GIGGLES._ She's at least as old as we are, and she's giggling like a teenager.

Damn, Cheren.

"Well, I can certainly arrange that!" She chirps, leaning in flirtatiously. "Can I get you anything else?"

Chivalrous as always, he actually does _not_ look down, where I'm pretty sure any other guy would - heck, if I were in his shoes, I probably would. "No, but thank you very much." He pats her shoulder, very lightly. "I started with a fire-type; my two friends here each started with a grass-type, and would like appointments after me."

She nods, obviously disappointed, and disappears into the back.

Cheren grins, twirls a Poké Ball on his finger - and I notice, suddenly, that there are still two on his belt.

Curiouser and curiouser!

I lean forward, start to poke him in the shoulder - but it's just then that the waitress returns, and with a sprightly, "follow me, please!" He's gone.

The doors swing shut behind him, and I can hear a lock click into place.

"Well." Nolene mumbles, "at least you won't get to watch me make a fool of myself."

I grin, nudge her lightly. "Funny, that. I was just thinking the same thing."

And then we fall silent.

And we wait.

...

It's a good half-hour later when Cheren comes out - and he's grinning so widely I'm surprised his face doesn't split when he does.

He doesn't say anything, just holds up a sparkling bit of metal and enamel - the Trio Badge.

"Not bad." Nolene grins.

"I'd say it's pretty good, actually." I can't help a chuckle. "What did you do, Cher'?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out later." He grins back. "Dawn, would you like to go next?"

I blink, consider my Poké Balls - and nod, swallowing a sudden nervous lump in my throat. "Yeah, I - yeah, might as well get it over with, eh?"

"That's the spirit!" Nolene nudges me gently. "Just don't get distracted by the waitresses."

I roll my eyes, and shove her back. "As long as you don't get distracted by Cher'."

"Ladies, please!"

In unison we turn. "Shut up, Cheren."

He holds up his hands appeasingly, and lets us have our squabble.

...

In the end, I do go next - it's best to just rip the bandage off and get it over with, in my opinion.

I consider my orbs with a sigh - three, just three, and Godfrey's weak to fire, and, oh, Arceus, I'm considering putting him at risk, what in the fuck is wrong with me -

I want to turn back, but by now the gym leaders have seen me. Arceus, oh Arceus, please don't let me fuck this up.

With a smile that I definitely do not feel, I walk to the back of the antechamber, nod politely to the three men standing there. "Which one of you am I fighting?"

"Grass-type starter?" Is all the blue-haired one says. I nod, and he jerks his thumb at the redhead.

Why am I not surprised?

But then he's stepping forward, offering me his arm - how untowardly polite! "Please allow me to escort you to the battlefield, my dear - I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

With a smile, I accept. "Dawn Blaise. And you are?"

"Chili, the fire-type leader." And then we're walking - not far, just through a door and down a short hallway.

And at the end of that hallway - my first gym arena.

Oh, Arceus.

The walk seems to take forever, but I'm pretty sure that's just the sudden spike of adrenaline making everything seem slower. Chili, scrupulously polite, walks me to my side of the arena, bows deeply, then makes his way across the soft clay-and-sand surface to his own pre-marked circle.

"All right, challenger, are you ready?" He calls.

I take a deep breath and shout back. "Whenever you are!"

"Let's do it, then!"

He throws a ball, as I detach Lily's orb from my belt and press the button. "Go ahead, Lily, show him what you can do!"

His own Pokémon is - I blink in surprise. "You have a Charmander?"

He scowls. "Yeah, well, you have a Piplup! I think we're about even here!"

"What's his name?" I shout across the arena.

"Her! Her name! And Syldra!" The Charmander chirrups as her name is spoken, scratches her snout with one forepaw.

"All right then! Mine's Lily!" I pause, considering, add. "Is it all right if I let my others out to watch?"

"Sure, go nuts!"

He groans again when I let Averoigne and Godfrey out. "A _Kirlia?_ Where are you _getting_ these guys?"

_Hey! I'm a girl!_ She crosses her arms and pouts at him. _She's a friend of mine, so there!_

"I'm from Sinnoh." I add, drily, indicating Lily. And then I do something silly.

I never thought I'd see her again, at least not so soon, but I've had the opportunity to listen to other Piplups and I think - I _think_ - I know a little of the language.

I take a deep breath, and I chirp something that I _think_ means, _"Listen to the slithery one."_

Godfrey and Lily both turn to stare at me.

I shrug, hiss softly to my little Snivy, _"I tried? Tell her to avoid damping the Charmander's tail-flame, it'll kill the poor thing; but douse it thoroughly otherwise."_

He bobs his head agreeably, begins quacking and chirping softly. Lily cants her head to one side, then nods.

Chili stares. "...what the hell did you just do?"

I can see Ave' swelling up for a grouch session, and I rest a hand on her shoulder to forestall her giving anything away. "I'll tell you when this is over." I smile pleasantly. "Shall we begin?"

"... oh, whatever. Syldra, get in there and don't let up until that Piplup gives up!"

A sidelong whisper to Godfrey, a flurry of chirps, and Lily nods again, bright red eyes trained on the Charmander. Syldra rushes her - but my Piplup is expecting that, she leaps to one side, and a blast of water to the side of the head knocks the lizard Pokémon spinning.

The gym leader claps a hand over his face. "Reshiram's blaze, Syl' - try again!"

Another rush, another dodge, another burst of water. Lily's not even breathing hard - Syldra, on the other hand, is staggering, shaking her head dizzily.

Not bad, for a start. Maybe we _can_ do this.

Chili takes a deep breath, puffs his cheeks out, then lets it all out in a rush. "Thundurus. Fine, Syl', you're done." The Charmander disappears in a flash of red, and he tucks her ball into the pocket of his apron, muttering in irritation. "Golbez, you try your luck!"

He sends out a Chimchar - and I can't help a grin. _"Godfrey, tell her to keep up the dodge-and-splash; she can't badly hurt this one unless she drowns him."_

He relays the instructions, and this battle goes much the same as the first - leap, dodge, blast of water - only Golbez is quick enough to land a tiny burst of flame to her belly.

Burnt feathers smell terrible - but she douses the fire with barely a thought, and though there's now a burnt-red patch on her belly, she still continues her onslaught until Golbez tumbles to the floor, defeated.

The rest of the battle goes much the same - dodge, burst of water, rush, feint - and Lily's never even really in danger; I severely underestimated what an advantage being able to give her information in a language that Chili doesn't understand would give us.

After Golbez comes a Cyndaquil named Rosa, a Torchic named Edge - and, finally, a Pansear named Cecil.

He's faster and more independant than the rest - Chili doesn't even say anything before he's bull-rushed Lily, and she goes over, head over heels, with him on top of her, biting and scratching. I'm dimly aware that I've screamed, clamped my hands over my mouth - Godfrey is craning his little neck to see what's happening -

Tiny blue feathers are flying, and Lily is squealing in pain.

Cecil hops off her when she stops moving, stops screaming, and oh Arceus, there's blood on his hands, oh Lily, Lily, no -

A burst of blinding white light fills the room, and I shield my eyes with my forearm -

There's a sound like someone turning on a fire hose, and I hear something hit the wall - and when I drop my arm, holy Arceus, Lily's all but doubled in size - still wounded, there's a myriad of bloody scratches on her cheeks, her chest, but she's quite conscious.

And the Pansear is lying on the floor against the wall, defeated.

...holy Arceus, we won.

"Cecil, you're done," I can hear Chili sigh, but I only have eyes for my Piplup - excuse me, no, my Prinplup - and as soon as I hear the distinctive chime of a ball withdrawing its tenant, I rush onto the field and fling my arms around her.

_Hah-HA! In your face!_ Averoigne broadcasts it so loudly I can feel my ears ring from the inside, but I don't care - "Holy Arceus, Lily," I whisper, "that was amazing, you are amazing -"

Godfrey nips my ear, and I laugh and reach up to pet him, too damn happy to care that he's being a brat. _"You're amazing too, my darling, thank you for translating."_

He hisses, contented, and slithers down my arm to coil around Lily's shoulders.

She, too, reaches up a flipper to pat him.

I'm just beginning to melt at the sheer adorable of the situation when I'm rudely interrupted - a hand with something shiny in it is being thrust at my face.

I blink, look up - Chili is standing there, looking mildly annoyed. "Your badge. You've been ignoring me for something like ten minutes, y'know - we do have other challengers today!"

"Right, sorry!" I take the badge, stand, turn to leave -

"Wait a minute," and there's suddenly a hand on my elbow, "before you go... How did you do that?"

"What?" I suppress a hopeful smile - oh Arceus, this might be what we need, if we can convince the gym leaders -

"How did you tell your Piplup what to do? You... you didn't _say_ anything, but she was acting like someone'd suggested tactics to her." The look of sheer puzzlement on his face is... it's like a gift.

"I said plenty." And this time, I can't suppress the grin. "You just didn't understand it."

I pat his arm, murmur, "give it some thought," and I walk out of the arena, head held high, badge in hand, my team marching proudly after, leaving Chili absolutely flabbergasted in my wake.

He's thinking about it, I can tell - and he's going to be fighting Nolene next, and she's going to be doing the exact same thing I did. I'm willing to bet we'll be seeing him after gym hours.

Holy Arceus, the Professor might've been on to something with this League Challenge thing.


End file.
